1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a luminescent screen containing a substance capable of emitting light in response to stimulating light applied thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are known luminescent screens which comprise a flat screen plate which contains a substance (a luminescent substance) capable of fluorescence or phosphorescence in response to stimulating light such as ultraviolet radiation, visible light, near-infrared radiation, or the like, the fluorescent substance comprising a piperidinium tetra (benzoyltrifluoroacetone) europium complex, for example. The stimulating light is applied as a circular spot to the screen plate to enable it to emit luminescent light that serves as a pixel, thereby displaying an image. The luminescent screen is used as a display element of an image display system of the back-projection type or front-projection type. In the back-projection-type image display system, stimulating light is applied to one side (back surface) of the luminescent screen, which emits luminescent light from the other side (display surface) thereof for the observer to see. In the front-projection-type image display system stimulating light is applied to one side (display surface) of the luminescent screen, which emits luminescent light from the same side for the viewer to see.
Since the luminescent screen of the back-projection-type image display system comprises a flat screen plate, as shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, when stimulating light is applied as a spot to a back surface 20b of the luminescent screen 20, luminescent light which is emitted from the luminescent substance is scattered in every direction, including directions toward both surfaces 20a, 20b of the luminescent screen 20 and directions propagated in the flat screen plate. Therefore, the efficiency with which the applied stimulating light is utilized is low, and the intensity of luminescent light emitted toward the display surface 20a of the screen plate is so low that the screen as viewed by the viewer is relatively dark.